Montana Public Schools have received a $100,000 grant to help health sciences programs in schools. The grant will focus on getting students in rural areas and reservations a clearer path to careers in health sciences.
Chris Minnich, Director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, says Montana was chosen partly because of a shortage of health workers here.
"What we were finding is that the high schools were preparing kids for college pretty well but they weren’t exactly giving the skills that students might need to go into careers."
University of Montana economists say that Montana will need 7,000 more health care workers by 2025.
Montana schools will use the grant for six months, and then compete at the national level for a three-year grant worth nearly $2 million. Montana is one of 24 states along with the District of Columbia to receive this grant.